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Simple Cuban Black Beans & Rice in a Rice Cooker

Simple Cuban Black Beans & Rice in a Rice Cooker by John Spottiswood

I've loved cuban black beans and rice ever since I lived in Weehawken, New Jersey and ate at the Unica Cafe. This recipe takes some short cuts and uses a rice cooker, but I still think the results are delicious. Try this under any caribbean grilled meat, fish or stew and you won't be disappointed!

5 votes
65067 views
Stir-Fried Broccoli with Chili-Garlic Sauce

Stir-Fried Broccoli with Chili-Garlic Sauce by John Spottiswood

My father-in-law has become an amazing cook, and he made this as part of our Easter lunch this year with the fabulous pork tenderloin recipe (see linked below). This version isn't gloppy with extra sauce like you find in many Chinese take out places. It's very flavorful but also relatively light and healthful. He made a TON of it,…

18 votes
42224 views
African Chicken in Peanut Sauce

African Chicken in Peanut Sauce by John Spottiswood

I first had this in graduate school when a classmate from Ghana cooked it for an International progressive dinner. I fell in love with the combination of sweet peanuts and pungent spices. This is not a flavor you will easily forget, and it will keep you coming back for more!

56 votes
119788 views
Homemade Pelmeni

Homemade Pelmeni by John Spottiswood

Unlike Oleg's store-bought, no-good, cheater recipe, this is the real thing. You gotta taste it to believe it!

20 votes
52693 views
Awesome Pizza Dough

Awesome Pizza Dough by John Spottiswood

This recipe is adapted from one perfected at Greens restaurant in San Francisco. The crust is crunchy on the outside but also chewy. I think it's wonderful. I'm going on a pizza making journey and this is stop one. If you've never made your own pizza dough before, it's easy and fun. This recipe makes 2 12-inch crusts. More to…

80 votes
57529 views
Red beans and rice

Red beans and rice by John Spottiswood

I've adapted this recipe from a number that I have used in the past. You can deviate from this and it is still delicious! Normally, I serve this with a jerk marinated chicken or pork, but it also goes well with grilled fish, steak and many other treats. If you serve it with something that isn't spicy, try adding some of the spices…

47 votes
77575 views
Cuban-style Steaks in Garlic-Lime Marinade

Cuban-style Steaks in Garlic-Lime Marinade by John Spottiswood

These steaks are a treat and a great way to make an inexpensive cut of meat memorable. You can use bottom round (best), top round, or a thin cut sirloin for this dish. The steaks should be cut about a 1/2 thick. Mine were a little thicker, so I pounded them with a mallet to thin them. In Cuban restaurants, this recipe is called…

5 votes
58860 views
Budwig Diet Smoothie

Budwig Diet Smoothie by John Spottiswood

Someone turned me on to Dr. Johanna Budwig recently. I read a bit about her research and her diet online. While there isn't a lot of hard evidence behind it, she was definitely ahead of her time in recognizing the importance of good fats, and the harmful effects of bad fats, in our modern diets. She strongly encouraged the…

9 votes
23803 views
Perfect New York Style Pizza Dough

Perfect New York Style Pizza Dough by John Spottiswood

I have a friend, Pete Miller, who has become a pizza guru. He attended classes held by Tony Gemignani (pizza god), and has tried endless recipes at home. So I asked him for his ultimate pizza dough recipe and he gave me this. It's adapted from the book PIZZA by Diane Morgan and Tony Gemignani. The recipe in the book calls for…

12 votes
18041 views
Mediterranean Filet of Sole

Mediterranean Filet of Sole by John Spottiswood

Dover Sole was on sale at the local supermarket, and I felt inspired to try an recreate some of the simple, delicious flat fish dishes while traveling through the Greek Islands. Everyone raved about the outcome. This will take you to Mikonos...whether you've been there before or not!

4 votes
40160 views
Peruvian Roast Chicken

Peruvian Roast Chicken by John Spottiswood

This is a fantastic recipe that I adapted from the Cook's Illustrated Cookbook. I was looking for a new family favorite to rival my Cumin Chicken recipe, and this came darn close. The flavors in this recipe blend together very nicely and don't overwhelm the flavor of the chicken. Everyone in our family enjoyed it. We served it…

7 votes
16043 views
Chinese Vegetable Soup

Chinese Vegetable Soup by John Spottiswood

I love to throw this recipe together when I am in the mood for a healthy and spicy meal. Just about every time I go to an Asian grocery store I end up picking up the ingredients for this tasty soup. This is not from any book...just pieced together from the great bowls of soup I've had in hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurants in the…

3 votes
54013 views
Halloween Finger Cookies

Halloween Finger Cookies by John Spottiswood

These taste like a rich biscotti. But the best thing about them is the spooky Halloween look! Try serving them at a Halloween party or bringing them to work. It feels creepy to eat them!

9 votes
13391 views
Harira Soup

Harira Soup by John Spottiswood

This is the traditional soup served at sunset to break the daily fast observed during the 30 days of Ramadan. Recipes vary from family to family throughout Morocco and the rest of North Africa. I'm particularly fond of this version. If you have not had this before, you MUST try it. It is truly delicious!

6 votes
24254 views
Swai with Lemon-Basil Pesto

Swai with Lemon-Basil Pesto by John Spottiswood

We made this dish with Swai, but it would work equally well with basa, tilapia, catfish, sole, or any other mild and flaky white fish. The pesto is bright and citrusy and contrasts well with the mild, garlicky flavor of the fish. Our kids loved it and all went back for seconds. We served it with fresh artichoke and rice.

3 votes
8232 views